Akshay Kumar leads a mixed-bag ensemble cast on a night of discovery, leading to some genuine laugh-out-loud moments in Khel Khel Mein.
Nostalgia is like driving at night on a road that’s got more potholes than you last remembered. It’s a bumpy ride and can often bring up uncomfortable truths that we’d rather not want to confront.
Somebody needed to tell Akshay Kumar that before he decided to star in Khel Khel Mein. From the trailers, it’s a movie that seems to be him attempting to relive his glory days and an attempt to course-correct his trajectory. To be honest, on paper, it does make sense. In fact, like millions of his fans, we were just as excited when the movie finally became available on Netflix — the fact that Khel Khel Mein showtimes in its theatrical opening were missed by most owing to a certain juggernaut going by the name of Stree 2 is a topic for another discussion. But better late than never, we settled down to see prime Akshay finally doing what he does best: comedy gold.
Did it live up to the expectations?
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
What’s the Khel Khel Mein Story About?
Khel Khel Mein revolves around a single night filled with unexpected twists. Rishabh Malik (Akshay Kumar), a plastic surgeon, is navigating a turbulent second marriage with Vartika (Vaani Kapoor) — as an aside, the backstory of how Akshay’s character married his college sweetheart at 28 made us go down a rabbit hole of why he’d string along his non-medical girlfriend for six to eight years before finally tying the knot. The writing was clearly on the wall as to his philandering nature right there, and if it were up to us, we’d surely have told his first wife to run cause “he’s just not into you.”
But we digress, back to the story. The couple has decided to give their relationship three months before making final decisions. Meanwhile, they attend the wedding of Vartika’s sister, Radhika (Diljot Kaur Chhabra), at a lavish hotel, where they are joined by friends: Harpreet (Ammy Virk) and his wife, also named Harpreet (Taapsee Pannu), as well as Samar (Aditya Seal) and his wife, Naina (Pragya Jaiswal). Kabir (Fardeen Khan) was expected to come with his girlfriend, Akshita, but arrives alone, offering no explanation for her absence.
As the night progresses, the group of friends engages in a conversation about infidelity. Vartika suggests they play an intriguing game: everyone places their mobile phones on the table, and any incoming messages, emails, or calls must be shared with the group — messages are read aloud, and calls are answered on speaker. While the women eagerly accept the challenge, the men join in more hesitantly. What unfolds during this game becomes the heart of the story, leading to shocking revelations and unexpected consequences.
What Works?
Remember when we said that Khel Khel Mein made sense on paper? It’s a juicy topic rife with gags and jokes, and to be fair, the movie excels when it explores complex themes such as relationships, insecurities, infidelity, and mental health. While the film could have explored this further, its main focus is on driving the narrative forward, sometimes at the expense of coherence and believability.
The first hour literally feels like a cramming session where every character is being introduced along with their weird situation. Keeping track of all the plots and sub-plots made us almost take a trip down memory lane ourselves with cheat sheets and code words.
Thankfully though, the movie settles down into a rhythm, and the last 30 minutes effectively bring together the various loose threads. The performances, on the whole, work. It is refreshing to see Taapsee Pannu break free from her serious actor persona, delivering a funny performance as a social media enthusiast grappling with marital issues stemming from not having children. Although not to put too fine a point to it, one would’ve assumed that she would make her husband, played by Ammy Virk, switch from briefs to boxers, eat a healthier diet, and basically do things to improve a low sperm count rather than looking for a donor. But hey, that’s just us. Aditya Seal and Pragya Jaiswal (the latter making her debut in this film) are visually appealing and convincing as a couple coping with a personal tragedy. As for Fardeen Khan, this role shows a more subdued side of him that exhibits gravitas and depth.
The direction by Mudassar Aziz is solid on the whole and demonstrates a stronger command over portraying interpersonal relationships than crafting pure comedy. In his previous work, Pati Patni Aur Woh, he showcased his sensitivity toward characters, avoiding the temptation to turn them into mere caricatures. His strength lies in infusing a human touch, which works in Khel Khel Mein’s favor. However, the film’s first half feels drawn out, with multiple rounds of confessions and secrets that become tedious. The actual redemption comes in the second half.
If the second half had been the central focus of Khel Khel Mein, it might have emerged as a rare cinematic gem. The attention given to Vaani Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, and Pragya Jaiswal is well-deserved. Mudassar doesn’t pass judgment on his characters; instead, he portrays them with nuanced shades of grey. They’re flawed but not evil.
Also Read: Sikandar Ka Muqaddar Review
What Doesn’t Work?
Khel Khel Mein has an unsteady start, with humor that may not resonate with everyone. The shift from lighthearted comedy to serious drama feels abrupt and jarring. Unfortunately, the wheels start coming off in its second half. The narrative shifts erratically, resulting in uneven pacing, with each revelation triggering a different reaction.
And can we please, for the love of all things celluloid, do away with the loud music and with every moment of emotional intensity being swiftly followed by a joke to relieve the tension? This is where the film stumbles — director Aziz seems so focused on crafting a typical crowd-pleasing Akshay Kumar comedy that some of the more serious conflicts never receive the attention they deserve.
Same Ingredients, Different Dish
Like the goose that lays the golden egg, movie makers are obsessed with remaking any narrative that seems to strike a chord with the masses. And there’s nothing wrong with that as long as they’ve tinkered with the ingredients. So that the audience might feel like they’re digesting a new dish rather than last week’s leftovers with some ketchup sprinkled on top.
In 2016, Italian director Paolo Genovese explored how smartphones could disrupt marriages with his comedy-drama Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers). The film’s universal theme of relationship dynamics struck a chord, leading to over two dozen remakes across various languages and cultures. Given Akshay Kumar’s penchant for ready-made concepts to meet his annual goal of releasing three films, it’s no surprise that Khel Khel Mein has caught his attention. This marks his third release in 2024, with another film still in the pipeline.
Lost in Translation
For viewers familiar with the original Italian film, Perfetti Sconosciuti, it’s clear the movie touches on important issues like childlessness, infidelity, and homosexuality. At one point, Kumar’s character even speaks about the importance of making heartfelt decisions. However, these glimpses of sensitivity are fleeting, quickly giving way to humor. The jokes land well during the first hour, but as the revelations grow darker, they begin to feel cringeworthy, almost preachy.
Taapsee Pannu’s breakdown scene initially stands out. Still, it loses its impact when it turns into a blend of comedy and tragedy, reminiscent of Kangana Ranaut’s character from Queen, complete with messy hair and a bottle of wine to signify her inner turmoil. And much like in Badhaai Ho, the background music disrupts the intensity of critical moments. Every time a message arrives on a character’s phone, the song Parde Mein Rehne Do plays, unnecessarily reminding us of their impending troubles—a fact already apparent from the film’s trailer.
Is Akshay Back? Unpopular Opinion
Let’s address the elephant in the room with a bit of a caveat: we love Akki and his brand of humor. Khel Khel Mein begins with a beaming Akshay Kumar flashing his salt and pepper hair, which he should flaunt more often. He photobombs a family, shows off his British passport, bumps into Chitrangda Singh, and throws an Easter egg of Desi Boyz. All swell and good so far, although this might be a niche opinion, we’d take the wise-cracking, streetsmart, tapori, Akshay over the suave, dapper, and sophisticated version. There was something of the everyman getting the better of a rigged system that connected with the masses. But still, any Akshay of old is better than the preachy, caricaturish role models we were being offered of late. It’s been a while since Kumar was so easy and breezy on the eyes and ears.
The movie does succeed in that aspect. But to say that Akshay has hit it out of the park would be a lie and a disservice to the playlist of greatest hits that we’ve come to associate with Akki. Not going to lie, we went in with a lot of expectations and came out feeling even more nostalgic for the good ol’ times. Because even when we saw flashes of the old Akshay with his superb comic timing and deadpan retorts in that slightly nasal and flustered tone, we couldn’t help but notice that he was having to rely on himself to do all the heavy lifting. There were no Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Govinda, or the other heavyweights that had shared the load in hits like Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhaag, Special 26, and so many more.
Final Verdict
There’s no denying that Khel Khel Mein delivers a glimpse of the OG Akshay and provides plenty of laugh-out-loud moments alongside meaningful messages. Although the balance between humor and depth could have been smoother and more convincing to create a stronger impact, the film is commendable in many ways and gets a lot of things right. It’s a movie meant to be watched on the big screen rather than at home on the couch.
We give it a 3 out of 5.
